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Long-term follow-up of homoharringtonine plus all-trans retinoic acid-based induction and consolidation therapy in newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia

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Abstract

We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy of combining homoharringtonine (HHT) with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA)-based induction therapy, followed by three courses of consolidation chemotherapy and 2-year sequential maintenance therapy in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Fifty-three patients were enrolled in the study. The complete remission (CR) rate was 100 %. No patient died during induction therapy. The 9-year event-free survival (EFS) and 9-year overall survival (OS) for all patients were 79.0 and 83.0 %, respectively. Outcome estimates according to the body mass index (BMI) were carried out. Twenty-three (43.4 %) were underweight/normal (BMI < 23.0 kg/m2), whereas 30 patients (56.6 %) were overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 23.0 kg/m2). Underweight/normal-weight patients had a 9-year OS of 100 %, compared with 73.0 % for overweight/obese patients (P = 0.044). These results indicate that HHT plus ATRA-based induction and consolidation therapy may be a highly efficacious treatment option for newly diagnosed APL. Increased BMI had an adverse prognostic impact in APL.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation to Y. Wang (Grant No. 81400136), National Natural Science Foundation to J. Wang (Grant No. 81430004) and PUMC Youth Fund and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities to Y. Wang (Grant No. 33320140064). Y. Wang collected and assembled the data, analyzed data, drafted the article, provided statistical expertise, critical revision and gave final approval. J. Wang and Y. Mi contributed to the concept, design, interpretation of the data, statistical expertise, critical revision and gave final approval. D. Lin, H. Wei, W. Li, B. Liu, C. Zhou and K. Liu contributed to the clinical data collection and final version approval. The authors thank all of the doctors and nurses in Leukemia Center for their professional assistance.

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The authors have no competing financial interests to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leukemia Center, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 288, Nanjing Road, Tianjin, China

    Ying Wang, Dong Lin, Hui Wei, Wei Li, Bingcheng Liu, Chunlin Zhou, Kaiqi Liu, Yingchang Mi & Jianxiang Wang

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  1. Ying Wang
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  2. Dong Lin
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  3. Hui Wei
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  4. Wei Li
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  5. Bingcheng Liu
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  6. Chunlin Zhou
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  7. Kaiqi Liu
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  8. Yingchang Mi
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  9. Jianxiang Wang
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Correspondence to Yingchang Mi or Jianxiang Wang.

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Wang, Y., Lin, D., Wei, H. et al. Long-term follow-up of homoharringtonine plus all-trans retinoic acid-based induction and consolidation therapy in newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia. Int J Hematol 101, 279–285 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-014-1730-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-014-1730-8

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